You wake up on a Saturday morning with a horrible, self diagnosed, sinus infection. You need relief as soon as possible and your primary care physician isn't available. Should you take a trip to the Emergency Department?
Tower Health offers another option for common illnesses and injuries. Urgent Care is an essential link in Tower Health's continuum of care, providing convenient access to skilled and compassionate care at our urgent care locations across Berks, Chester, Montgomery, Philadelphia, Delaware, Bucks, Northampton, and New Castle counties.
"Our Urgent Care locations are an invaluable part of Tower Health," said Hazel Bluestein, MD, Tower Health Urgent Care Chief Medical Officer. "They ensure that we are able to provide all of our patients with convenient access to skilled, compassionate healthcare close to home when they need it."
If you don't know if Urgent Care or the Emergency Department is the best choice for your health problem, call your primary care provider. The on-call physician should be able to direct you. Here are some basic recommendations to keep in mind.
All medical issues can be addressed at the Emergency Department. But issues that constitute a medical emergency are given priority. For the following list, it is imperative to call 911 in order to have an ambulance take you to the Emergency Department:
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- Chest pain
- Coughing up blood
- Unusual abdominal pain
- Large open wounds, severe burns, unstoppable bleeding
- Blurry vision or changes in vision in one or both eyes
- Major broken bones, bones protruding from the skin
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Serious injuries, spinal injuries, severe infections
- Sudden severe headache, dizziness, or weakness on one side of the body, sudden confusion or trouble speaking
Often though, an Urgent Care facility is the right place to go with medical problems that are still pressing, but not as life-threatening, such as:
- Cold, flu, sinus infection, allergies
- Sore throat, bronchitis, ear infection
- Diarrhea, nausea, urinary tract infection
- Pink eye, eye irritation
- Minor broken bones, sprains, strains, or sports injuries
- Back pain, headache, migraine
- Flu shots
- Office testing: blood sugar, strep throat, flu, mono, pregnancy, urinalysis and TB skin test
- Minor lacerations, scrapes, bruises, insect bites, poison ivy, lice
Get a more detailed look at where to go when facing a medical issue that requires prompt attention: https://towerhealth.org/services/urgent-care.
About Reading Hospital
Reading Hospital is the flagship, Magnet Recognized, acute care hospital of Tower Health. Located in West Reading, Pa., Reading Hospital is a 714-bed hospital that is home to many top-tier specialty care centers, including Reading HealthPlex, McGlinn Cancer Institute, Miller Regional Heart Center, Emergency Department, Level I Trauma Center and Beginnings Maternity Center, which houses the region's only Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). With more than 1,000 physicians, specialists, and advanced practice providers across 49 locations, Reading Hospital has been recognized for its quality outcomes and clinical expertise across services lines. It is listed as one of America's 100 Best Hospitals for four consecutive years and received a 5-Star Rating from CMS two years in a row. For more information, visit towerhealth.org.